Nokia Lumia 710 Review: Windows Phone 7 On A Budget

Over the past few years, the influence of integration has completely changed the mobile phone's role in our lives. What was once made cool for its ability to flip open now lets you browse the Web, listen to music, stream video content, fire off email, play games, and take pictures. The inflection point where we stopped using cell phones and started playing with smartphones was pretty darned defined.

The addition of functionality gives each vendor its own opportunities to differentiate. If you've followed our tablet coverage over the past six months, then you know that no two products, however similar-looking, are quite the same. Among the tablets sharing an operating system like Android, we've seen vendors optimize their devices in unique ways. Sometimes they use hardware; other times software makes the difference. For example, Sony's Tablet S is a phenomenal addition to any home theater thanks to its awesome DLNA integration and a built-in IR remote. Meanwhile, the SuperPLS display found on Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the best tablet screen we've seen yet.